This Savvy Cereal Box Hack Saves You Money On Kitchen Storage Bins

It's really tempting to drop cash on storage containers when you're looking for a fast way to solve the pure chaos in your pantry. But what if we told you that a cereal box in its natural form could be the very storage container you're looking for? Stay with us. There is a cereal box close-and-store trick that has blown everyone's mind for not being common knowledge.

How it works couldn't be more simple. After you're done with your cereal simply fold the two side flaps inward, then press the back flap down (the one with the hole) and tuck that one down too. From there, fold the sides in on themselves as if you're totally flattening the box and then take the larger front flap — the one with the tab — and tuck it the hole tab so it closes over in a neat little pyramid shape. The result is a compact cereal box with a self-sealing triangle-shaped top that fits perfectly back on the shelf and keeps its contents fresh for longer.

Yeah that's right, in addition to looking all neat and cute, this trick actually helps protect cereal from getting stale. So if you're always on the look out to find the best way to keep your cereal crunchy, this is a great choice as it blocks out more air than closing the box the traditional way. It's also way less wasteful than using a storage box, as you're simply folding the box you already have. And similarly, don't toss that cereal bag when it's done either, you can easily repurpose cereal bags into convenient freezer storage.

Plastic containers have long been pitched to us as the holy grail of organization, but it turns out they actually have some flaws. In fact, using round containers in your pantry is one of the worst ways to organize because they don't stack well, they don't fit into square corners, and you can never tell how much is left without opening the lid and peering inside. Plus, unless you remember to label everything meticulously, you'll be reaching for cornflakes and opening up a container of breadcrumbs instead.

The cereal box fold method, however, promises simplicity. The branding is all still right there, and its new slimmer shape can simply slide back into place next to the other cereals. There's no big production of transferring things from box to container — which means no crumbs left out and no washing extra plastic or recycling cereal boxes. Plus, it's kind of cool, like doing breakfast-themed origami.